Religion has played an important role in the culture of Hangzhou, where different religious beliefs have co-existed since ancient times. Buddhism and Taoism were introduced to Hangzhou in the fourth century. An estimated 496 temples graced the landscape of Hangzhou in the early 13th century, during the Southern Song Dynasty. By the mid-13th century during the Yuan Dynasty, Islam had established communities in Hangzhou, as had Lamaism, Nestorian Christianity, and Judaism. In the 17th-19th centuries, Catholicism and Protestantism spread to the city.
During the 10th century, Buddhism had such a strong influence on the culture of Hangzhou that it was called the “Southeast Buddhist Kingdom.” Even today, Buddhist structures such as Lingyin Temple, Jingci Temple, Pagoda of Six Harmonies, and Baochu Pagoda, stand as cultural symbols of West Lake and remain part of the iconic landscape of Hangzhou.
John Leighton Stuart (1876-1962), an American who was born in Hangzhou and later served as a missionary for 14 years, wrote in his memoirs, “Hangchow [Hangzhou] is one of the most historic and beautiful cities in all China. The environs of the city, with the exquisitely lovely West Lake encircled literally by ‘templed hills’ and picturesque Ch’ien- T’ang River [Qiantang River] beyond with its celebrated ‘Bore’ tide, have long been famous in Chinese literature and art.”